Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-17
AWFUL CALAMITY,
A River In China Changes Its Course,
Inundsting Millions of Acres Of
Cultivated Lands.
Thousands OF People are Drovnsd and
dsred Penniiess and Homeless.
A FRIGHTFUL CASUALTY,


SAN FRANCISCO, CAL, Dec. 1G.-The
steamship City of Sydney arrived this af-
ternoon from Hong Kong and Yokohoms.
The Chinese papers give the details of
disaster occasloned by the Yellow river
overlooking its banks in the province Of
Hona, and describe it as one of the most
appalling occurrences in loss OF life and
property recorded in recent times. The
river broke its banks on the
evening OF September Is, south
west OF the city OF Ching CHOW
and not only completely Inundated that
city but also ten other cities. The whole
area is row q raging sea ten to thirty feet
deep, where Il was once deDsely popa-
ulated and rich plain. The former bed
of the Yellow river is now dry and the
present lake YVES the bed Of the river
centuries ago. The loss Of life Is not
known and the statement Is made by
missionaries that lots of Chinese are
homeless and starving. Thomas Patton,
one Of the American missionaries from
the Hona province, says the newly
gathered crops, houses and trees are
all swept swsy involving fearful loss Of
life. The country was covered with q lne
winter rice crop which Is gone and i'm
plies the complete destruction to next
years crop. BREAD, bresd," Is the cry
OF the thousands who are on the
river bsnks. Benevolent people go
il boats and throw bread among
the masses here and there, but nothing
compared with the requirement. The
mass Of people is still beng increased by
continual arrivals even more hungry than
the last. There they sit, stunned, hungry
and detected, without rsg to wear or
morsel Of food. Huts are being erected
for them. The misery Is Increased owing
to the bitter cold weather.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
Further particulars of the great Yellow
river disaster IN China show that 1t Is one
of the greatest calamities Of the century.
Yellow river has been known as the
Chinese Sorrow, and the present disaster
has served to reassert its right TO the ter
rIble title. As yet the details OF the dis
aster are very meagre. It has occurred in
district where but few foreign ers are, and
the report furnished by the ficials and
published in the Pekin G,ztl conveys
8 very inadequate account of the extent
of the loss of life and property, and the
SUITE rings Of the survivors.
The Governor OF Hona reports to the
throne that "pearly sll the people have
been drowned in the district inundated
by the wster, the survivors being those
who escaped to high ground or took
refuge in the trees, where they remained
until rescued"
This gives but little impression as to
what the extent Of the disaster really is.
The Chinese Times says in the Province
of Chilli, where disastrous foundations
have also occurred, there are 270, 900 peo-
pie homeless, and represents that thou
sands Of lives were destroyed, and adds
that the misery in that province is trlfing
as compared with that. prevailing in
Huango- Ho, or the Yellow river. The
extent Of the ground swept over by the
food, given in English figures, is over
1000 SQUARE MILES,
and the land thus submerged formed part
Of one of the richest and most densely
populated plains of Northern China. The
necessity for liberal aid may therefore be
imagined. Already considerable sums have
been subscribed toward relieving the SAT-
ferers. The Emperor OF China has given
two millions of tsels and the Chinese have
started subscription lists In Shanghai to
which foreigners have literally contrib
uted. Millions have been rendered home
less and entir, ~ deprived OF ell chances
of earning their livelihood, for their fields
will either become permanent lakes
or uninhabitsble swamps. 1t is feared
that the distress, which will be felt dur
ing the winter, will equal IN intensity the
famine Of ten years sgo, when charitable
donations contributed from all parts of
the world were utterly inadequate. 1t is
stated that owing to the action taken by
the Yellow river it does not flow towards
the sea, but seems In converting Eastern
Hona and Northern Ugonwhay into 9 lake.
1t may ultimately flow into the sea
through the KisDgon. or 1t may even pos
eihly ioin The Yanptezn